February 2007

Garage Sale

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Saturday, February 03, 2007Saturday, February 03, 2007
9 Comments

It was only 7:00 AM as I groped for the time in my cellphone. The maids woke me up from my dreaming mode. A “crowd” was milling by the front gate. Wow that early. This meant that I had to back out my car. A few days ago I plastered “Moving out -[tag]Garage Sale[/tag]” at the bulletin boards outside the 3 gates of the village. I look over at my junk that piled up at the garage. How horrible! Did all that exist in this house? Good riddance. Excited shoppers soon ran inside.

Much as I don’t like this neighborhood, garage sale finds are often interesting especially from “Expats leaving” . There are avid garage sale shoppers over here. It’s probably one reason my own household accumulated so much junk in nine years. Not that I am saying my garbage are of great value.

It’s comforting to know that everyone is still asleep as the neighborhood invades my garage. Family members won’t balk at their precious junk being disposed. Butch still refused to clean up his closet. I will soon invade it , promise. By the end of February, I will have another garage sale for the bigger items. I will be disposing my furniture, refrigerator, dining table and who knows. The cloud walker has to go.

All For Jesus

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Saturday, February 03, 2007Saturday, February 03, 2007
4 Comments

If you studied at a Catholic School during the sixties, the nuns required you to scrawl “All for Jesus” on the top page of your notebook or pad paper. As a little girl, I had no inkling what “All for [tag]Jesus[/tag]” meant. Nuns during those days threw those beady mean eyed looks if you didn’t follow their commands. I merely wrote those words like a robot. Perhaps the daily ritual of scribbling those words “All for Jesus” carried a subliminal message which I carried on during times of stress. I find myself scribbling “All for Jesus” at the top page of my monthly sales ledger.

Of course you know that any business has fixed cost which needs to be covered immediately. During the first week of the month, I usually freak out if my sales are not meeting targets. But I learned along the way. There are few aspects of our life we can control . Sales can be unpredictable. Market forces are out of our control. Controllable forces are innovative marketing tools, prompt service and quality . I’ve learned that I don’t have to obsess over my goals. I don’t have to constantly watch and mark my sales . I do my job, set my goals and Let Go and let God.

Marie Claire Magazine Features Country’s Female Bloggers

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Friday, February 02, 2007Saturday, February 03, 2007
13 Comments

Grab the February 2007 issue of [tag]Marie Claire[/tag] Philippines Edition. You will read the article written by Luz Rimban entitled “The Secret Lives of [tag]Pinay Bloggers[/tag]”. I feel so vindicated . Finally , there is an article that I can show to puzzled family members that explains what blogging is or what my online business is all about. An ex sister-in-law once confided to me that certain family members think I do nothing but sit at the computer all day . How can one explain in simple terms that I earn a living online? Maybe the magazine article might help.

Other female bloggers featured are Connie (but of course) , Wysgal, Lori, Chuvaness and myself.

Looking at the photo taken during the second week of December…

Bo Sanchez interviews some bloggers

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Thursday, February 01, 2007Tuesday, January 01, 2008
6 Comments

Watch this video interview (Bo’s Daily Reality TV show) of Bo Sanchez with bloggers, Jun , Sorsi Aileen Apollo of Google Philippines and myself, during Saturday’s Blog Parteeh ([tag]blogparteeh07[/tag]) .

In the video, watch as Jun ‘s vision for his blog is to spread the Good News of Jesus to just one blogger who in turn will reach out to another blogger. Imagine how Jun has reached out to Sorsi by recommeding the book, “How to Find your One True Love” by Bo Sanchez. Also in the same video, Sorsi tells Bo how the book made her re-examine her life to the point that she resigned from her current job to one with more responsibilities and leadership. Aileen Apollo discusses that her job at Google was God’s gift to her.

Bo’s site says:

Job Hunting

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Thursday, February 01, 2007Thursday, February 01, 2007
5 Comments

job hunt February is Lauren’s last month in college or school at that. Her graduation is still on March though. When she wailed that she had 28 days left before school ended, I wailed along with her. “That means I am old. You’re not my baby”. Every milestone is significant in our children. Their first smile, their first walk, their first day at school and all the first firsts. Did time fly that fast? Wasn’t it just yesterday that I held this adorable little cutie in my bosom? That I held her hand on her first day of school? That I was her whole world. That she could trust me with her future?

That little girl is now a woman , I know. Lauren will be the first grandchild in both sides of our family to graduate. I can feel her confusion over her future. At this stage of her life, she is [tag]job hunting[/tag]. She is on her road to getting her first real job where someone other than me pays for her bills.

“Where will I go? I don’t have a direction.” I often hear her say this.

Just because one doesn’t have a job yet doesn’t mean one doesn’t have a direction. She wants to go into business . I advise her (through years of research with entrepreneurs) that being employed is a training ground before one embarks on a business. Sure , there is the webhosting business but that was so manageable when it was small. (I have since taken over).

Most graduates don’t really know where their field of interests like until they start on their job hunt. My only parental advise is just send resumes, inform friends of your job hunt and grab opportunities when they come.

I held her hand. I assured her that her special gift in creative writing and winning appeal will get her places. She bewails the fact that most job offers are management, accountants or business positions. There is always a market for other careers. It’s just that high paying jobs are in management or Information Technology , none of which interests her.

You could be a lawyer like your dad, if you wanted? If ever, you will be the fourth generation lawyer. Think about it.
Read More »Job Hunting